


Pow!

by Pembrooke330



Category: Archie Comics, Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Crush, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Jeronica, Jughead x Veronica, One Shot, Riverdale, Veronica x Jughead, Vughead, jug and v
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-10-28 13:04:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17787932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pembrooke330/pseuds/Pembrooke330
Summary: Jughead has been in denial about his feelings for Veronica, but can he keep hiding the truth?





	Pow!

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Jughead!”

Jughead hadn’t heard who it was that had called out the greeting as he kept his head down while walking down the halls of Riverdale High School.

Valentine’s was the very last holiday that he cared about celebrating. And it wasn’t just because he and Betty Cooper had broken up right after New Year’s.

“New Year, new start.” Betty had said the night they had broken up.

It had been a long time coming. Things between the two of them just hadn’t been working out for a while. Not only had they been forced to spend a lot less time together, but they both seemed to be going in different directions in their lives now that they were seniors and beginning to make their plans for the next phase in their lives. Plans that didn’t necessarily include each other.

Jughead had dealt with the breakup surprisingly well, but it had still been a big adjustment. Regardless, he couldn’t wait for the day of love to be over and all the red glitter and hearts and pink balloons be swept up and thrown out until the next year.

“Oh my God, Toni! These are so beautiful!” Jughead heard Cheryl Blossom exclaim as he walked by her locker where she and Toni were exchanging massive bouquets of roses.

He rolled his eyes as he turned the corner, only to be met by Veronica Lodge, who was standing at her locker. Her expression focused as she flipped through a binder.

Jughead’s body betrayed him when his heart began to thump hard at the sight of her.

He took a deep breath as he walked by her, a feeling of disappointment washing over him when she didn’t acknowledge him, as if she hadn’t even been aware of him.

He shook his head, telling himself that it didn’t matter and he didn’t care. Veronica was just a client that the Serpents were hired to protect ever since the year earlier when Veronica’s father, Hiram Lodge, had been offering her protection that couldn’t quite be trusted.

Protecting Veronica had come with its challenges, but it had been a lucrative arrangement, and Jughead was thankful that she had agreed to the deal. Now if only he hadn’t become so invested in Veronica’s wellbeing to the point that he scrutinized everything she did.

“Jug, I’m perfectly fine going out with Elio. He’s a good guy.” She’d said just a week earlier.

But Jughead had shook his head.

“He’s a mobster, Veronica. I just don’t think it’s a good idea. He’s just _not_ a good guy. And as your bodyguard, I’m just trying to look out for you.”

Veronica had glared at him.

“No, you’re trying to tell me what to do with my life. You’re overstepping the boundaries of our business relationship, Jughead.”

Jughead hadn’t said anything else. He didn’t want to argue with her, and she had been right about him taking too much of an invested interest in her life. So he knew he had to back off, even though he loathed the idea of her dating Elio.

But as usual, she sat by him in English class while Archie sat behind him, and he noticed she wasn’t wearing any red or pink or hearts or anything that most girl were wearing at school that day to show their recognition of Valentine’s Day.

“Not in the holiday spirit, Veronica?” Jughead asked as he looked her over, his heart beating fast as he admonished himself for having that sort of reaction to her.

But it couldn’t be helped.

Veronica chuckled.

“You might be surprised to know that I don’t celebrate purely commercial holidays. I can show my love for people any day of the year.”

Jughead smirked.

“So things with Elio aren’t going well, I take it?”

Veronica scowled at him.

“If you must know, I’m not dating him anymore. We’re just…not a good match.”

Jughead nodded as a grin formed on his face

“Hate to say I told you so.” I replied, knowing he should be a lot more sensitive to her confession, but it was hard feel that way when he was beyond glad that things hadn’t worked out with the mob boss.

Veronica cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Why do have to look so happy about it? What’s the deal, Jug? Were _you_ hoping to ask me to the Valentine’s Day dance or something?” She asked, obviously joking but the assumption practically made Jughead’s heart stop.

“Hell no! I’d rather get a root canal than date you.” He snapped back, his face feeling flushed as he prayed she couldn’t see how off guard she had caught him.

“Relax, Juggy. She was just joking.” Archie piped in as he clapped Jughead on the back.

Jughead laughed nervously.

“I know that. I was just…making sure she knew that I would never be interested in her like that.”

Archie eyed him curiously as Veronica scoffed.

“Trust me, Jughead, I am highly aware of your lack of interest in me in a romantic way. You make it perfectly clear on a daily basis.” She replied before she went back to working on her poetry writing assignment.

Jughead wasn’t sure, but he swore he caught a sound of dejection in her voice at her theory regarding how Jughead he felt about her.

“That’s right, and don’t forget it.” Jughead replied with a laugh.

But he immediately winced to himself after he’d said the words. He knew it had been unnecessary but he’d been compelled to drive the point home in case anyone suspected anything. The last thing he needed was anyone thinking he had a thing for Veronica Lodge.

“Hey Jug, you still coming by this afternoon for some Call of Duty?” Archie asked, obviously trying to change the conversation.

Jughead nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll be there right after my Serpent meeting.” He replied as his eyes lingered on Veronica, who had once again seemed to forget his existence, and he decided that he didn’t care. He wouldn’t let it bother him so much, if it was the last thing he did.

\---

 

Jughead and Archie had been playing video games for almost an hour when they decided to take a break.

“Are you taking Josie out tonight?” Jughead asked Archie as he, Fred Andrews, and Archie stood around the kitchen eating chips and drinking sodas.

Archie nodded as he swallowed a sip of his drink.

“Yeah, we’re going to grab a bite at Segarini’s before the Valentine’s Day dance at school and then we might hit up the Bijou to see some old black and white movie she likes.”

Fred smiled at his son.

“Sounds like it will be a romantic night. Curfew is the same, though.”

Archie grinned.

“Oh come on, dad.”

But Fred shook his head no.

“Maybe I would let you stay later if you were, say, going on a double date with Jug and some lucky lady but I know Jug doesn’t do Valentine’s Day.”

Jug perked up when his name was mentioned, ready to denounce Valentine’s Day for the umpteenth time.

“Oh, if only Jughead had the nerve to ask out the girl he’s crushing on, it could have been a possibility.” Archie said with a teasing grin.

Jughead looked at his best friend with a look of confusion.

“I don’t have a crush on anyone.” The words tumbled out of his mouth so awkwardly fast that he quickly stuffed a handful of chips in his mouth.

“Jughead, you stare at her all the time. You get all fidgety and nervous whenever she’s around. You are way too interested in knowing which guys she hangs out with. You are completely head over heels, and everyone sees it but you and Veronica. And if you ask me, I think she’s got just as much of a crush on you as you have on her.” Archie said with a satisfied smirk on his face.

Fred gave Archie a knowing glance.

“And yet he _still_ hasn’t asked her out? What the heck are you waiting for Jug?” Fred asked as he turned to the boy who was like another son to him.

Jughead frowned.

“I don’t have a crush on her. I don’t like her like that.” He mumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Fred and Archie both chuckled, completely unconvinced.

“Oh, come on, Jug. We’re like family here. You can admit it to us.”

But Jughead wasn’t about to admit anything.

“No offense, Mr. Andrews, but if I have feelings for Veronica then shoot me.”

Fred raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised at Jughead’s choice of words, and Jughead realized that he probably shouldn’t have said something so insensitive to a man who had been shot.

But instead of getting upset, Fred Andrews made his hands into two finger guns, and in a booming voice yelled “Pow!”

Archie nearly fell off of his stook with laughter while Fred gave Jughead a shrug.

“I’m sorry, Jughead, but even if you won’t admit the truth, it is what it is. You like her, and you need to own it and deal with it before a potentially amazing chance with an amazing girl passes you by.”

Jughead sighed. He didn’t like the idea of everyone thinking he felt something for Veronica when he hadn’t even really processed exactly what it was he might actually feel for her. But when it came down to it, everything Archie had said had been right. Except Jughead couldn’t imagine for one second that Veronica might like him too. She barely even paid any attention to him.

 

\---

 

It was late when Jughead walked into Pop’s. All of the couples who had gone to the diner on their Valentine’s dates were gone, probably somewhere quiet whispering sweet nothings and making love.

And Veronica was alone, sweeping the floor and playing Mazzy Star on the Jukebox.

She looked up when the bell chimed on the door.

“Jughead?”

Jughead smiled shyly as he wiped his clammy hands on the back of his jeans.

“Hey, Veronica.” He said nervously as he approached her.

“You didn’t go to the dance?”

Veronica shook her head no.

“No one asked me. But…it’s okay. I had to work.”

Jughead took a deep breath. Even in her uniform, her hair pulled up in a loose bun, Veronica Lodge looked heartbreakingly gorgeous.

“I…If I had known you’d even wanted to go…I…um…I would have asked you to go…with me…”

It felt like forever before he’d been able to finish the sentence. He couldn’t even believe he was saying the words as he was actually speaking them, but he’d come to Pop’s with a purpose and he wasn’t going to leave until he said what he needed to say.

Veronica gave him a puzzled look.

“You _would_ have? Why is that?” She asked, a hint of a smile on her face as if she already knew.

Jughead adjusted his beanie anxiously as he looked down at the linoleum of the diner floor.

“Because as much as I hate to admit it…and believe me, I _hate_ admitting this…there might be this very slightly possible, small, miniscule, teeny tiny chance that I like you.” He said, forcing himself to look up at her so he could gage her reaction to the one thing he never thought he’d ever concede to.

“ _Like_ me? Like me _how_ , exactly?” She asked with a wide grin on her face as he leaned her broom against one of the tables and wiped her hands on her apron.

They both stepped closer until they were face to face.

Jughead chuckled.

“You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?” He asked as he took one of her hands in his.

It was the most simple of touches, but the electricity from the contact was irrefutable.

Veronica shook her head.

“Nope.” She said as gazed up at him.

Jughead sighed as he grinned at her.

“Okay then…brace yourself, Veronica.” He said as he gently tipped up her chin.

Maybe Archie was right after all. Maybe she really _did_ like him too. The way she was looking at him made his heart throb and he suddenly felt a surge of confidence he had expected to feel.

“I like you as in I _like_ you. And I came here to ask you if you’d like to go out with me sometime…”

Veronica squeezed his hand, her eyes sparkling.

“It’s about time.” She said with a laugh.

“Want a burger?”

Jughead nodded.

“I’d love one.”

Veronica smiled bashfully as she held onto his hand and led him over to the front counter of the diner.

“Well, Jughead, thanks to you, I just might end up liking Valentine’s Day much more than I did before.”

Jughead leaned in to give her a soft kiss on the lips before pulling away to gaze into her deep, brown eyes.

“Well, Veronica, that goes for me too.”

 

The End.

 

 


End file.
